Concrete cribbing



March 24, 1936. Q CLARE 2,035,050

CONCRETE CRIBBING Filed Jan. 11, 1935 v 2 Sheets-Sheet l I 1 /mr/es C re March 24, 1936. c. CLARE 2,935,050

CONCRETE :CRIBBING Filed Jan. 11, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 6741' [X 82 Charles 6 Patented Mar. 24, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 15 Claims.

This invention relates to concrete cribbing and aims to provide improved cribbing units having the advantages set forth in the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a portion of a railway embankment, the earth fill of which is retained by concrete cribbing embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the cribbing from the other side, before the fill has been placed against the cribbing;

Fig. 3 is a top plan on an enlarged scale showing part of the cribbing interlocked with a permanent Wall; as in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the triple header which forms a part of the improved cribbing;

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the upper end of the triple header;

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a standard header;

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the coping shown in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 8 is a section on line 88 of Fig. 7

Fig. 9 is a side elevation of another form of coping;

Fig. 10 is a section on line Ill-I of Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is a side elevation of a straight coping;

Fig. 12 is a. top plan view of the coping of Fig. 11.

Referring particularly to the drawings, the improved concrete cribbing comprises a plurality of stretchers l5, headers l6 and copings I! which are more or less interlocked with each other to provide a substantially rigid and non-yielding wall for retaining earth fills and to prevent settlement and slides of earth, rocks etc. when building various structures. The stretchers are best shown in Fig. 3 and comprise straight concrete slabs preferably with square ends having the beveled corners Ia. Such slabs may fit into recesses cut or formed in a permanent wall such as the wall l8 (Figs. 1 and 3) and they are also adapted to fit into and interlock with headers to be described. The stretchers I5 lie generally horizontal or parallel to the ground and are piled one on top of the other, being retained in position by the headers l6, which are also piled one on top of the other, as shown in Fig. 2.

The headers l6 are T-shaped in plan as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 and each comprises a straight body having a head 18a at one end and at the other end a pair of wings IBb extending at right angles on either side of the body. The length of these headers may be anything desired and they are designed to provide anchors for the wall which is built up from the cribbing units, the multiplicity of wings l6b being depended upon for the anchoring effect. The headers [6 are piled one on top of another as shown, and each header has a pair of keys lBc preferably extending transversely of the body and preferably being flaredat each end so that each key is of less thickness at its middle. Each of said keys [6c is adapted to be received within a keyway Hid (see Fig. 6) which is formed in the opposite edge of the header. Preferably one of the keys I60 is between the main body of the header and its head I6a and the other key is adjacent the wings lfib, both keys being on top of the headers while the keyways of the same header are on the under side thereof and directly beneath the keys, as shown in Fig. 6. By the employment of such keys, the headers are interlocked with each other and cannot shift either longitudinally or transversely and thus form a rigid wall having wings which, when the earth is filled about them, absolutely prevent any movement whatever of the cribbing.

Referring to Fig. 3, it will be seen that the stretchers l5 interlock with the headers I6. The headers 16 receive the ends of the stretchers [5 between the heads Mia and the shoulders [6e which are formed by flanges integral with the bodies of the headers and which are spaced from the heads [6a. a distance approximately equal to the width of the stretchers l5, said heads Ilia, having bevelled surfaces 16) which correspond with the bevelled surfaces l5a on the ends of the stretchers and which additionally increase the strength of the headers at the points where the heads Ilia join the bodies of the headers. To increase the strength of the headers at the ends having the wings l6b, angular surfaces l6g are provided.

To make possible an interlocking of the stretchers, headers and copings at the joints I have designed novel headers which I term triple headers. One such header is shown at the top of the tier of headers in Fig. 2 and another is shown separately in Fig. 4. The triple headers 20 have keyways 20a on the bottom only, said keyways being similar in all respects to the keyways Hid previously described and they are adapted to receive 50 the keys I60 of the uppermost header Hi. The triple headers 20 each have wings 201) at one end stretching on opposite sides of the main body of the triple header as will be understood. At the opposite end, each triple header has a vertical 5 extension 200 which forms an interlocking structure for the two ends of copings such as those shown in Figs. '7 to 12 inclusive. When the top sides of the copings extend at an angle to the horizontal, as in Figs. 1 and 2, the upper end 20d of each triple header will be bevelled oif at an angle corresponding to the angle at the tops of the cop ings, as clearly shown in Figs. 1, 2, 4 and 5. If the copings extend parallel to the ground or horizontally, the end 20d will be square or at right angles to the vertical extension 200, as will be under stood without illustration. The vertical extension 206 will have any height desired and this height may approximate the length of the triple header 20, as shown in Fig. 4, or it may be greater or less than said length. A shoulder 20e extends vertically and parallel to the vertical extension 200 and between the shoulder 20c and the opposed face of the vertical extension 200 the end of one of the copings is designed to fit. The shoulders 206 project at right angles to the body of the triple header on either side of the same so as to provide with the vertical extensions 200 a pair of vertically extending grooves in which the ends of the copings snugly fit. Thus each triple header prevents lateral movement in either direction of two copings and also longitudinal movement thereof.

The coping I1 shown in Figs. '7 and 8 is designed for a wall having an inclination of fortyfive degrees to the horizontal. At each end the shoulders [1a are formed for interlocking engagement with the headers. The coping 2| shown in Figs. 9 and 10 is almost the same in construction but the angularity is less because said coping is designed for a wall having approximately a thirty degree inclination. In the form of Figs. '7 and 8, the coping I! has a recess 11b to receive the ends of stretchers I5, or if desired, the coping I! may be a solid mass of concrete, the arrangement shown being preferred because of convenience in handling. In the form of Figs. 9 and 10 the coping is not a single piece. In the form of Figs. 11 and 12, the coping 22 has shoulders 22a at the opposite ends for engagement with the triple headers as previously described and is straight with parallel upper and lower sides, since this particular form of coping is designed to be used with structures having horizontal tops.

The invention has many features and advantages, among them the following. The headers, which vary in length in accordance with the stability requirements of the wall, stack solidly on one another, transmitting the load directly to the earth, without superimposing loads upon the headers. Thus, the loading of the wall can be accurately and easily computed. Another advantage is the keying of the headers together so that the complete counterfort acts as one unit. Another advantage of the headers is that they keep the stretchers from falling into the fill while erecting the wall. As the stretchers are bevelled on two edges only at the ends they can be assembled one way only, and when in position they are rigidly interlocked with the headers. The T-shapes of the headers are advantageous because they minimize excavation into banks which are designed to be held by the cribbing and furthermore facilitate building the cribbing on a curve instead of merely as straight walls. The construction has other advantages which will be understood by those skilled in civil engineering and which need not be explained further.

Obviously the present invention may be embodied in many forms neither shown nor de-- scribed.

Having described a preferred embodiment of my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Cribbing comprising, in combination, stretchers; headers piled one above the other and connected to the ends of the stretchers and interlocked therewith and with each other; copings along the tops of the stretchers also interlocked with the headers; a triple header on top of each tier of headers, each triple header having a top end shaped to conform to the angularity' of the coping relative to the longitudinal axes of the stretchers.

2. Cribbing comprising, in combination, stretchers; headers piled one above the other and connected to the ends of the stretchers and interlocked therewith and with each other; copings along the tops of the stretchers also interlocked with the headers; a triple header on top of each tier of headers; each header, including the triple headers, having a rear end with wings; each triple header having an upright extension at right angles to the main body thereof.

3. Cribbing comprising, in combination, stretchers; headers piled one above the other and connected to the ends of the stretchers and interlocked therewith and with each other; copings along the tops of the stretchers also interlocked with the headers; a triple header on top of each tier of headers; each header, including the triple headers, having a rear end with wings; each triple header having an upright extension at right angles to the main body thereof; each upright extension having keyways on each side extending throughout the entire length of the extension for interlocking with stretchers on either side.

4. Cribbing comprising, in combination, a pair of stretchers; headers each having means for receiving the opposed ends of two alined stretchers and for holding the same against lateral movement; each header having wings to prevent longitudinal movement; and keys and keyways iormed on each header for interlocking with other headers above and below the same.

5. Cribbing comprising, in combination, a pair of stretchers; headers each having means for receiving the opposed ends of two alined stretchers and for holding the same against lateral movement; each header having wings to prevent longitudinal movement; and keys and keyways formed on each header for interlocking with other headers above and below the same; each key being widest at each end and narrowest in the middle and fitting a correspondingly shaped keyway so that lateral movement of the headers relative to each other is prevented.

6. Cribbing comprising, in combination, horizontal stretchers; headers interlocking with the stretchers at the ends; copings on top of the tiers of stretchers and interlocking with the same; and triple headers on top of the tiers of headers and interlocking with the headers beneath the copings and the stretchers.

'7. A header for cribbing comprising, in combination, a substantially straight body; a pair of wings at one end of said body and substantially at right angles thereto, and lying on opposite sides of the body; a head whose width is large compared to the width of the body and which is j ned t0 the body by a narrower neck; and a pair of shoulders at the base of said neck, said shoulders being adapted to co-operate with the head to hold the ends of two stretchers interlocked with the header.

8. A header for cribbing comprising, in combination, a substantially straight body; a pair of wings at one end of said body and substantially at right angles thereto, and lying on opposite sides of the body; a head whose width is large compared to the width of the body and which is joined to the body by a narrower neck; a pair of shoulders at the base of said neck, said shoulders being adapted to co-operate with the head to hold the ends of two stretchers interlocked with the header; keys formed on the top of the body, and complementary keyways formed on the bottom thereof; each key being narrower at the middle than at each end and extending transversely across the body.

9. A triple header comprising, in combination, a body having an anchoring end and a vertical extension at the other end; said vertical extension providing a pair of surfaces for interlocking with the ends of copings; and a pair of shoulders spaced from and parallel to said surfaces to coact therewith in the aforesaid interlocking.

10. A triple header whose body has keyways formed on its bottom and having anchoring wings projecting horizontally from one end and a vertical extension at the other end; and recesses provided where said vertical extension joins the body for interlocking with the ends of stretchers and copings.

11. A triple header comprising a generally T-shaped body having anchoring means at one end; a substantially right angular extension at the other end; and. means formed on the right angular extension for interlocking with the ends of stretchers and copings.

12. A triple header whose body has anchoring means; a substantially right angular extension integral with the body but spaced from the anchoring means; means adjacent the right angular extension for interlocking the triple header with stretchers and copings; and means on the body for interlocking it with other headers.

13. A triple header comprising a body generally T-shaped in plan having a. right angular extension at the foot of the T; said right angular extension being adapted to extend vertically upwardly from the body when the latter is horizontal.

14. A triple header comprising a body generally T-shaped in plan having wings at one end and an extension, which is at right angles to the wings, located at the body end which is at the foot of the T; and means formed on the upper, and lower surfaces of said header for interlocking with other similar headers thereby to prevent relative lateral and longitudinal movements.

15. A triple header comprising a unitary body which is generally T-shaped in plan and which is generally L-shaped in side elevation; said body having keys and grooves formed thereon for interlocking engagement with other headers and stretchers to hold the same against longitudinal and lateral movement.

CHARLES CLARE. 

